Missing Out On Everyday Sounds: High vs Low-Frequencies
Each day is a gift—and that gift includes a medley of sounds that stitch your day together, from birds chirping as you sip your morning coffee on the patio to the serene sound of spring rain pattering on your umbrella or your grandchildren’s laughter.
How does hearing loss affect our perception and the ability to hear these sounds—and which sounds do those with hearing loss commonly miss? In today’s article, we’ll dive into how high and low-frequency sounds relate to hearing loss.
How is Sound Measured?
Sound is measured in decibels and frequenciesDecibels
Decibels (dB) refer to how loud or soft a sound is, or its intensity. A person without hearing loss can typically hear sounds quieter than 20 dB. Someone with mild hearing loss cannot hear sounds below 30 to 40 decibels, while a person with moderate hearing loss will miss sounds below 50 to 70 decibels.
Since most speech occurs within 55 to 65 dB decibel range, a person with moderate hearing loss may have trouble hearing and comprehending conversations, especially amid background noise.
Frequency
Sound frequency is measured in hertz (Hz) and refers to the tone or pitch of the sound. High-frequency sounds produce sounds that are shorter in wavelength, while low-frequency sounds produce longer wavelengths.
Low-frequency or low-pitched sounds are commonly compared to bass sounds, such as a tuba. High-frequency sounds are compared to treble sounds like a bird or cricket chirping.
What are High and Low-Frequency Sounds?
The lower the number, the lower the pitch of that sound. Most everyday sounds we hear fall within the range of 250 to 6,000 Hz, though the full range of sounds a person without hearing loss can detect ranges from 20 to 20,000 Hz.
High-frequency sounds: examples
- Birds chirping
- A child’s squeal
- Women's voices
- Blowing a whistle
- Sirens
- In speech, consonants such as “f,” “s” and “th”
Low-frequency sounds: examples
- Dogs barking
- Lawn mowers
- Refrigerators
- The sound of thunder
- Men’s voices
- In speech vowel sounds
High-Frequency & Low-Frequency Sounds
FAQs
High-frequency sounds are usually the first sounds lost when someone has hearing loss. Why? The hair (or nerve) cells in our inner ear that perceive higher-pitched sounds are more likely to get damaged first, based on the anatomy of our inner ear.
Someone with high-frequency hearing loss has trouble hearing high-pitched sounds in the 2,000 to 8,000 Hz range. They often find it difficult to understand women and children when they speak, due to the higher frequencies of those voices.
Certain high-pitched consonants like “f,” “s,” and “th” (4,000 to “5,000 Hz) also might get missed, causing speech to sound muffled or garbled. People with high-frequency hearing loss will frequently say "I can hear, but I don't understand."
Sensorineural and conductive hearing loss are commonly associated with low-frequency hearing loss and can depend on the cause, such as a head injury or chronic ear infections.
Low-frequency hearing loss may also be caused by genetic factors, such as a congenital defect or a malformation in the middle ear, a missing or damaged eardrum, an injury to the middle ear bones, or otosclerosis.
Commonly missed sounds for those with hearing loss:
Animals and pets:
- Cats purring
- Dogs barking or whining
- Collar tags jingling
- Paws pattering on hardwood
Nature sounds:
- Crackling of pine needles as you walk through the woods
- Leaves rustling in the wind
- Birds chirping outside your window
- Ocean waves crashing against the shore
- Rainfall, or raindrops pattering on your umbrella
- Babbling streams as the water cascades down rocks
Music:
- High-pitched instruments, such as flutes or violins
- Difficulty understanding song lyrics
- Subtle nuances, like the ding of a triangle or the cymbal in the percussion
People:
- Your sister, wife, or female friend talking
- Children sharing a fun story
- Lower-pitched voices
Can you hear everyday sounds?
If you find that you’re missing more than a few of the sounds listed above regularly, it may be time to get your hearing checked by a hearing care professional. To get started, take our free online hearing quiz to see if you may have hearing loss.
How Can Hearing Aids Improve Hearing Sounds?
Wearing hearing aids can improve your ability to hear high and low-pitched frequencies in a few ways:
Amplification
Frequency-lowering
Background noise
Directing sounds
Amplification
Amplification
Frequency-lowering
Frequency-lowering
Background noise
Reduced background noise
Directing sounds
Directional Microphones
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